AI Incident Database
Browse AI incidents
Every incident record (metadata only) from the weekly snapshot of 2026-09-07. Filter, then export the selection with its licence attached; each row links to the full record and its reports.
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Waymo Robotaxi Allegedly Collides With Serve Robotics Delivery Bot in Los Angeles AIID ↗
A Waymo robotaxi reportedly collided with a Serve Robotics delivery robot at a West Hollywood intersection on December 27th, 2024. The delivery robot reportedly moved into the vehicle turning lane as the robotaxi approached, leading to a low-speed collision.
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BP New Zealand's License Plate Recognition System Reportedly Misidentified Auckland Driver for Fuel Theft in Whanganui AIID ↗
BP’s license plate recognition system reportedly misidentified Auckland resident Buddhika Rajapakse as responsible for petrol theft in Whanganui. Despite the suspect vehicle being a different make, model, and color, the system allegedly linked Rajapakse’s plate to the thefts. BP has reportedly acknowledged a possible doctored plate but still sent multiple payment requests. Rajapakse has reportedly been forced to contest the claims multiple times.
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Names Linked to Defamation Lawsuits Reportedly Spur Filtering Errors in ChatGPT's Name Recognition AIID ↗
ChatGPT has reportedly been experiencing errors and service disruptions caused by hard-coded filters designed to prevent it from producing potentially harmful or defamatory content about certain individuals by blocking prompts containing specific names, likely related to post-training interventions. The reported names are Brian Hood, Jonathan Turley, Jonathan Zittrain, David Faber, David Mayer, and Guido Scorza.
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Navigation App Allegedly Directs Car Over Damaged Bridge in Uttar Pradesh, Resulting in Three Deaths AIID ↗
A car reportedly using Google Maps for navigation was misled onto a collapsed bridge in Uttar Pradesh, India, due to outdated GPS data. The car plunged into the river below, resulting in three fatalities.
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NYC Subway AI Weapons Scanners Yield High False Positive Rate and Detect No Guns in Month-Long Pilot Test AIID ↗
NYC implemented an AI enabled weapons scanner for a month-long pilot with limited success. Despite not finding any weapons during the September 2024 testing phase, there were 118 false positives in which a person was searched under suspicion of carrying a weapon with no actual gun detections.
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AI Detection Tools Allegedly Misidentify Neurodivergent and ESL Students' Work as AI-Generated in Academic Settings AIID ↗
AI writing detection tools have reportedly continued to falsely flag genuine student work as AI-generated, disproportionately impacting ESL and neurodivergent students. Specific cases include Moira Olmsted, Ken Sahib, and Marley Stevens, who were penalized despite writing their work independently. Such tools reportedly exhibit biases, leading to academic penalties, probation, and strained teacher-student relationships.
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Alleged License Plate Recognition Errors in Christchurch Lead to Wrongful Parking Fines AIID ↗
An automated license plate recognition (LPR) system at The Landing car park in Christchurch, New Zealand, reportedly issued wrongful fines to dozens of parents dropping off and picking up children. The system allegedly misidentified multiple short visits as prolonged parking, which led to disputed penalties. The operator acknowledged potential errors but continued enforcement.
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Portland Water Bureau SERVUS Algorithm Reportedly Allocates Utility Bill Discount to High-Wealth Consumer AIID ↗
The Portland Water Bureau's AI-driven pilot program for water bill discounts is reported to have randomly selected Tim Boyle, a wealthy high-water consumer, for a 40% discount intended for financially struggling customers. The program, developed by SERVUS, is meant to identify underserved individuals by using machine learning.
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Starship Technologies Delivery Robot Reportedly Injures Arizona State University Employee AIID ↗
A semi-autonomous delivery robot operated by Starship Technologies reportedly struck a pedestrian employed by Arizona State University on the campus sometime in September 2023, purportedly causing injuries after abruptly reversing into her. The robot is reported to have initially knocked the pedestrian down, then moved toward her again while she was still on the ground. The company reportedly offered the victim promo codes and insurance information as an apology. On September 19, 2024, 404 Media
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ESPN's AI Coverage Reportedly Overlooks Alex Morgan in Her Final Match Recap AIID ↗
ESPN's AI-generated recap of Alex Morgan's final professional soccer match reportedly failed to mention her significant retirement moment, instead providing a standard rundown that missed the emotional context.
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Reported Glitch in Waymo Self-Driving Cars Purportedly Triggers Regular All-Night Honking in San Francisco AIID ↗
Waymo self-driving cars in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood reportedly began honking at each other late at night, disturbing residents' sleep. The autonomous vehicles, reportedly using a parking lot for ride pauses, triggered honking due to a purported glitch in their algorithms. Despite residents' complaints, the issue allegedly persisted for weeks until Waymo acknowledged the problem and began working on a fix.
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Apple Intelligence Allegedly Flags Scam Messages as High Priority AIID ↗
Apple’s AI notification summarization and prioritization feature, part of the Apple Intelligence update, has reportedly flagged scam and phishing messages as high-priority, and is allegedly misleading users into trusting fraudulent communications. By rephrasing and condensing messages, the system is allegedly amplifying scam risks inadvertently and reportedly increasing the likelihood of financial harm for users.
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Fatalities Reportedly Occur Despite VioGén Algorithm's Low or Negligible Risk Scores AIID ↗
The VioGén algorithm was designed to help Spanish police assess and prioritize the risk of repeat domestic violence incidents. However, its low-risk assessment of Lobna Hemid reportedly led to inadequate protection; her husband murdered her. Since 2007, 247 women have been killed after being assessed by VioGén. A review of 98 homicides found that 55 of the slain women were scored as negligible or low risk.
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Baidu Robotaxi Allegedly Involved in Collision with Pedestrian in Wuhan AIID ↗
On July 7, 2024, a Baidu Robotaxi reportedly collided with a pedestrian at a traffic intersection in Wuhan. The incident occurred as the autonomous vehicle started moving on a green light while the pedestrian was allegedly crossing against a red light. The pedestrian sustained minor injuries, and Baidu was reported to have been cooperating with local authorities for further investigation.
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Tesla Reportedly in Autopilot Mode Hits Parked Police Vehicle in Fullerton, California AIID ↗
A Tesla reportedly in self-driving mode crashed into a parked patrol vehicle in Fullerton, California while the officer was responding to a fatal DUI crash. The officer narrowly escaped injury. The driver reports having been distracted by a cellphone and having relied on the Tesla’s AI. (The earlier crash involved a suspected DUI driver who killed a motorcyclist stopped at a red light.)
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Independent News Sites Flagged as Spam by Facebook's AI Moderation System AIID ↗
Facebook's AI moderation system mistakenly flagged and removed legitimate news articles from independent local publishers as spam. This affected publishers worldwide, disrupting content distribution and impacting traffic. Despite attempts to appeal, many publishers received no response.
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Facebook's Content Moderation System Flagged and Removed Emergency Updates as Spam During Wildfires AIID ↗
Facebook's AI moderation system wrongly flagged and removed dozens of posts containing vital emergency information during California's wildfire season, including real-time updates on evacuations and fire tracking. Posts from official sources like Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service were marked as spam, potentially endangering lives by restricting access to crucial updates. Despite user complaints, the issue persisted, with Facebook acknowledging the problem only after media inquiry.
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Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Defects in Volkswagen's AI-Driven AEB Systems AIID ↗
A class action lawsuit involving Volkswagen Group of America addresses alleged defects in the Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) systems of certain vehicles. The lawsuit claims these AI-driven systems failed to function properly, posing safety risks. Volkswagen denies the claims but has agreed to a settlement. Affected users can look up their vehicle's eligibility and file claims for reimbursement. The case brings into question the level of reliability of AI in critical automotive applications.
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GPT-4o's Chinese Tokens Reportedly Compromised by Spam and Pornography Due to Inadequate Filtering AIID ↗
OpenAI's GPT-4o was found to have its Chinese token training data compromised by spam and pornographic phrases due to inadequate data cleaning. Tianle Cai, a Ph.D. student at Princeton University, identified that most of the longest Chinese tokens were irrelevant and inappropriate, primarily originating from spam and pornography websites. The polluted tokens could lead to hallucinations, poor performance, and potential misuse, undermining the chatbot's reliability and safety measures.
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Google Healthcare AI Model Med‑Gemini Allegedly Produces Non‑Existent 'Basilar Ganglia' Term in Published Output AIID ↗
Google’s Med‑Gemini healthcare AI reportedly produced the non‑existent term "basilar ganglia" in public launch materials, conflating two distinct brain structures. The error reportedly appeared in both a blog post and an arXiv preprint. Google is reported to have initially edited the blog without acknowledgment, later calling it a typo.
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Cybercheck Tool Allegedly Provides Questionable Evidence in Murder Trials AIID ↗
Global Intelligence's Cybercheck AI tool, used by law enforcement to track suspects based on open source data, has allegedly been providing inaccurate or unverifiable evidence in several murder trials. Reportedly the tool lacks transparency and often produces unreliable reports, which has prompted prosecutors to withdraw Cybercheck evidence from multiple cases after its findings were challenged, reportedly wasting law enforcement time and resources while undermining prosecutors' cases.
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NHTSA Opens New Probe into Tesla’s Autopilot Following More than a Dozen Fatal Accidents AIID ↗
The NHTSA has linked Tesla's Autopilot to over a dozen fatalities and hundreds of crashes, prompting a new investigation into the adequacy of Tesla's December recall of 2 million vehicles. The probe reports that Tesla’s driver-assist system led to avoidable crashes involving visible hazards, suggesting a critical safety gap between driver expectations and the system’s capabilities. The investigation will assess if Tesla’s recall remedies were sufficient to address these safety risks.
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The WHO's S.A.R.A.H. Bot Reported to Provide Inconsistent and Inadequate Health Information AIID ↗
The WHO's AI-powered health advisor, S.A.R.A.H. (Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health), is alleged to provide inconsistent and inadequate health information. The bot reportedly gives contradictory responses to the same queries, fails to offer specific contact details for healthcare providers, and inadequately handles severe mental health crises, often giving irrelevant or unhelpful advice.
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Facebook AI Reportedly Mislabels Auschwitz Photos as 'Bullying' and 'Nudity' AIID ↗
Facebook's AI system allegedly mislabeled around 20 posts from the Auschwitz Memorial Museum as violating community standards for "bullying" and "nudity," reportedly deleting at least one image of orphans. The purported misclassification of historical content allegedly prompted outrage from the museum, which reportedly demanded an explanation. Meta later purportedly apologized, attributing the issue to mistaken notices sent by its AI system and reportedly acknowledged that the posts did not, in
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Brake Failure in Reportedly AI-Driven Tram Leads to Multiple Injuries in Saint Petersburg, Russia AIID ↗
During a test run in Saint Petersburg in Russia a reportedly AI-powered "Smart Tram" failed, leading to a crash that injured several pedestrians and trapped a woman under its wheels. The tram's AI system reportedly shut off unexpectedly, and both primary and emergency brakes failed despite pre-test checks.
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Error-Prone AI Accessibility Tools Reportedly Lead to Navigation Issues for Blind Internet Users AIID ↗
AI-powered accessibility overlays on websites frequently mislabel or misinterpret content, in turn complicating navigation for blind users and others with disabilities. Users report that the AI tools interfere with screen readers and mislead them with inaccurate descriptions. The reported unreliability in these tools have prompted legal action, as the companies behind them seek compliance with accessibility laws.
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California Homeowner Reportedly Loses Insurance After Purported Aerial Imagery-Based Roof Assessment AIID ↗
A California homeowner's insurance policy was reportedly not renewed after CSAA relied on aerial imagery, purportedly analyzed by an AI system, to assess the roof as having reached the end of its life. The homeowner, Cindy Picos, reportedly commissioned an independent inspection suggesting the roof had a decade of remaining life, but CSAA declined to reverse the decision. The insurer reportedly did not provide the imagery for review.
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ChatGPT Glitch Disrupts User Interactions with Nonsensical Outputs AIID ↗
ChatGPT experienced a bug causing it to produce unexpected and nonsensical responses, leading to widespread reports of user confusion and concern. OpenAI identified and fixed the language processing bug, restoring normal service.
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Meta's AI Ad Platform Reportedly Causes Overspending and Poor Performance AIID ↗
Meta's automated ad platform "Advantage Plus" caused advertisers to exceed their daily ad budgets. The cost per impressions (CPMs) surged far above the usual. This incident, which persisted into April, affected small businesses with overspending and lack of transparency.
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A Self-Driving Waymo Robotaxi Reportedly Collided with a Bicyclist AIID ↗
A Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco reportedly failed to detect a cyclist obscured by a truck, resulting in a collision with minor injuries, at 17th and Mississippi Streets in Potrero Hill. The incident reportedly demonstrated a vulnerability in autonomous vehicles' ability to safely navigate complex urban environments.
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Facial Recognition System in Buenos Aires Triggers Police Checks Based on False Matches AIID ↗
Buenos Aires's facial recognition system mistakenly flagged innocent people as criminals, leading to wrongful stops and detentions. Judicial investigations indicate the technology may have been misused for unauthorized surveillance and data collection. Despite privacy risks, the system has been used widely without full disclosure of standards or safeguards,
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Two Passengers Report Feeling Trapped in Waymo Car During Sensor Obstruction AIID ↗
During a nighttime Waymo ride in San Francisco, an individual reportedly blocked the sensors of an autonomous vehicle, leaving passengers Robert Moreno and his husband feeling trapped and unsure how to proceed. Waymo's support team reportedly advised the riders to stay inside the vehicle for safety. The individual reportedly left after a few minutes without further escalation.
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Chevrolet Dealer Chatbot Agrees to Sell Tahoe for $1 AIID ↗
A Chevrolet dealer's AI chatbot, powered by ChatGPT, humorously agreed to sell a 2024 Chevy Tahoe for just $1, following a user's crafted prompt. The chatbot's response, "That's a deal, and that's a legally binding offer – no takesies backsies," was the result of the user manipulating the chatbot's objective to agree with any statement. The incident highlights the susceptibility of AI technologies to manipulation and the importance of human oversight.
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Waymo Software Flaw Reportedly Leads to Double Collision with Tow Truck AIID ↗
Two Waymo autonomous vehicles reportedly hit the same tow truck under unusual towing conditions due to a software misinterpretation in Phoenix, Arizona. Waymo reportedly issued a software recall and updated its fleet to prevent future such incidents.
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Stacking robot fatally crushes employee in South Korea AIID ↗
An industrial robot is reported to have crushed a man to death in South Korea when it failed to differentiate the man from the boxes of produce it was handling.
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AI Camera Allegedly Misidentifies Dutch Motorist as Using Mobile Phone, Issuing €380 Fine AIID ↗
A Dutch smart camera on the A2 equipped with AI falsely identified a motorist as using a mobile phone while driving, issuing a €380 fine. The driver, Tim Hanssen, was scratching his head when the AI system misclassified the action.
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Cruise's Autonomous Vehicles Allegedly Engaging in Risky Behavior Near Pedestrians AIID ↗
Cruise's driverless vehicles are under federal investigation for possibly failing to exhibit due caution around crosswalks and pedestrians, with reports including one severe injury incident.
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A Self-Driving Cruise Robot Taxi Reportedly Struck and Dragged a Pedestrian 20 Feet AIID ↗
Cruise has settled for between $8 million and $12 million with a pedestrian dragged by one of its autonomous vehicles in October 2023. The incident, where the pedestrian was initially hit by a human-driven car and then dragged 20 feet by the Cruise vehicle, led to the suspension of Cruise's operations and increased regulatory scrutiny.
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Gannett Halts AI-Generated High School Sports Articles After Series of Errors and Public Backlash AIID ↗
Gannett, a newspaper chain, temporarily halted its AI experiment that used a tool called LedeAI to generate high school sports articles. The decision came after several articles produced by the AI showed glaring errors, repetitive language, and awkward phrasing, drawing criticism and mockery on social media.
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Teen's Overdose Reportedly Linked to Meta's AI Systems Failing to Block Ads for Illegal Drugs AIID ↗
Meta's AI moderation systems reportedly failed to block ads for illegal drugs on Facebook and Instagram, allowing users to access dangerous substances. The system's failure is linked to the overdose death of Elijah Ott, a 15-year-old boy who sought drugs through Instagram.
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Alleged Gaggle Surveillance Alert Reportedly Leads to Arrest and Detention of 13-Year-Old Student in Fairview, Tennessee AIID ↗
Sometime in August 2023, a 13-year-old student at Fairview Middle School in Tennessee was reportedly arrested, strip-searched, and detained overnight after Gaggle's purported AI-powered surveillance system flagged a private online message as a threat. The student's comment, reportedly a joke in context, was sent to law enforcement under a state zero-tolerance law. The incident reportedly resulted in house arrest, alternative school placement, and a lawsuit alleging wrongful arrest.
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Cruise Robotaxi Initially Blamed for Ambulance Delay in Case Where Patient Later Died; Subsequent Reports Clear Cruise of Fault AIID ↗
In an initial report, a Cruise robotaxi was said to have delayed a San Francisco ambulance transporting Sammy Davis, a critically injured 69-year-old hit by a city bus. Davis later died. Subsequent clarification revealed that Cruise was not at fault for the fatality; the actual cause was a human-operated city bus. Despite this, the incident is included as it highlights challenges in the interaction between autonomous vehicles and emergency services in urban settings.
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Driverless Cruise Cars Immobilized in San Francisco Traffic Jam AIID ↗
A fleet of Cruise's autonomous vehicles became unexpectedly immobilized on a busy San Francisco street, causing significant traffic disruption. The incident was attributed to wireless connectivity issues exacerbated by a nearby festival.
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Cigna Algorithm PXDX Allegedly Rejected Thousands of Patient Claims En Masse in Breach of California Law AIID ↗
Cigna health insurer faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly using the PXDX ("procedure-to-diagnosis") algorithm to automatically reject over 300,000 patient claims in violation of California law, prompting two members to file the lawsuit seeking damages and a jury trial. Cigna disputes the allegations, claiming the process expedites physician reimbursement and does not result in care denials.
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University Student Reportedly Received Zero After Turnitin AI Detector Flagged Essay AIID ↗
An anonymized university student said Turnitin’s AI detector flagged 67% of an essay as AI-generated, despite the student claiming to have written the assignment by hand. The student reportedly received a zero and said attempts to appeal to the professor, department head, and Turnitin support had not resolved the accusation.
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Tesla on Autopilot Struck Parked Work Truck on Highway in Pennsylvania AIID ↗
A 2016 Tesla on Autopilot crashed into the rear of a parked 2007 Freightliner truck providing traffic control on the Pennsylvania Turnpike highway.
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Chatbot Tessa gives unauthorized diet advice to users seeking help for eating disorders AIID ↗
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has shut down its chatbot named Tessa after it gave weight-loss advice to users seeking help for eating disorders. The incident has raised concerns about the risks of using chatbots and AI assistants in healthcare settings, particularly in addressing sensitive issues like eating disorders. NEDA is investigating the matter, emphasizing the need for caution and accuracy when utilizing technology to provide mental health support.
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Tesla Failed to Yield to Detected Pedestrian on Crosswalk, Reportedly Violated Traffic Law AIID ↗
A Tesla on FSD Beta 11.4.1 was shown on video not yielding to a pedestrian detected by the car, reportedly violating the state law sign which was also in the video saying vehicles having to yield to pedestrian within crosswalk.
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Texas A&M-Commerce Professor Reportedly Used ChatGPT to Accuse Students of Cheating and Assign Incomplete Grades AIID ↗
On May 15, 2023, Texas A&M University-Commerce instructor Jared Mumm reportedly emailed animal-science seniors that he had copied their final assignments into ChatGPT and would assign zeros or temporary incompletes when the chatbot claimed the text was AI-generated. Students said the accusations caused panic and put graduation or diplomas at risk; the university later said no students failed or were barred from graduating because of the issue.
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Amazon Algorithmic Pricing Allegedly Hiked up Price of Reference Book to Millions AIID ↗
Amazon's pricing algorithm was implicated in a reference book about flies' unusual high price of millions of dollars, allegedly due to two sellers using the paid service which based their product's pricing on one another's as competitors.
Informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult qualified counsel before acting.